love who you are

we started early this year...

2012-01-22T19:53:00.000-10:00

...because last year i bought this gingerbread house and we never did it, so it sat in my closet for a whole year. The candy was a little rusty, but that didn't stop belle from putting it in her mouth!

i was laughing when i saw belle with her skirt on over her jumper. she dances all day. belle is super big on stuffing things in bags, baskets, carts, whatever. jay and i are worried she might be a hoarder in training. i got a kick out of her cart with her little friends sitting in the front.

our little community neighborhood newsletter said that you could come see santa, so we got all bundled up (it was actually cold enough for sweaters! whoo hoo!) and walked down the street. belle was super excited. well, the santa there was nothing like the santa picture in the newsletter. i wouldn't have sat on his lap! he had the worst suit on and didn't look authentic at all. belle was NOT going to have it. i felt bad because she was so excited at first.

jay tried really hard with every bribe in the book to get her to go. i'm not really disappointed that she didn't. i didn't want a picture of her with that santa anyway. it wouldn't have been a cute picture, trust me. now, i almost wish i would have taken one so you could all see, lol!

our annual christmas party at our house! coral with cousins, juliana and zolbo.

i went crazy and baked all day the day before. made for a pretty table!

playing dance2 on the wii. belle was sold! little enoch in the middle has got it down. we love that santa brought us dance3. its so fun!

belle is constantly ending her sentences with "...like kiarra." so she was pretty excited that she got ni-hao kai-lan just like kiarra. :)

yes i did!

2011-11-07T19:45:00.001-10:00

my christmas is up! jay and i couldn't wait any longer and when belle got mention of it, then we really couldn't wait any longer.

belle has been putting on this dress everyday.

lucky for coral, this girl loves books.

haha, i love this picture of coral.

halloween

2011-11-07T19:20:00.001-10:00

we went on a family fun run one morning. i couldn't resist a picture of my little munchkin in her little shorts and those socks.

we pumpkin carved in our undies...just kidding, only belle did. :) this was our fast version of pumpkin carving. somehow we never got around to actually carving the other pumpkin that i bought.

belle got so excited when she realized that it was like her mrs. potato head, she ran upstairs to get her for the picture.

little miss mermaid... we sat and painted seashells together with silver, glittery paint and glued some blue feathers on a crown she had. she loved it. i couldn't decide which pictures to post, so i put them all up.

a sweet "mini" ballerina...

i wanted a shot of that sweet bum in those tights! belle was a bit of stinker for the shot with baby sister. jay of course bribed her with trick-or-treating and treats.

ahoy matey!

2011-10-26T21:08:00.013-10:00

gosh, i love this little outfit. is it weird that i sort of like it when coral's diaper leaks so i can change her into another cute little outfit? yea, i think it's weird too.

sisterly love...

2011-10-22T22:06:00.000-10:00

belle.
you are a sweet, sweet little girl. you love mommy and daddy equally. you love to help us cook, clean and with whatever we are doing. you really love baby sister and snuggle your face against hers and tickle and pet her all day. your favorite shows seem to be max and ruby and umi zoomi at the moment. you love to go on walks and even ran with mommy one morning! you are starting to really use imaginative play and mommy loves the pretend "sweets" that you bring her all day. you are very sensitive and need a hug as soon as you know you are in trouble. you bring a smile to mommy and daddy's face every single day.
we love you.

coral.
you are a squishy little peanut. mommy and daddy love to snuggle you. you make lots of grunts and noises, especially in your sleep. your first smile seemed to be at your big sister. i love the way you raise your eyebrows as you stretch your arms above your head and arch your back when you are waking up. you smell so nice and i love to feel your scrumptious, ever so soft, fuzzy head, against my lips. you calm down as soon as you are picked up or when someone talks to you.
we are so in love with you.

belle noticed that i was trying to get coral to smile for the camera, so she ran upstairs and grabbed some stuffed animals out of corals room to try to make her happy. i love the way this little girl thinks. :)

i am forever in love with this picture.

coral's favorite place is her bouncer chair. she is a pretty mellow baby and lets me put her down, especially if the chair is on vibrate. what a cutie in her pj's. belle would say "he's a ballerina baby!" she is always calling coral a "he" :)

princess.

2011-10-22T20:52:00.001-10:00

when belle saw what coral was wearing she insisted on holding her. then she sat and stared at her shirt and smoothed out her skirt.

9/30/11

3 1/2 weeks old...

2011-10-22T16:12:00.001-10:00

my friend, who is a wonderful quilter and who has quite an eye for fabric, made me this baby blanket. notice the coral (not the baby... well, notice her too) on it? can't say enough how much i love it!

i came downstairs and found belle "reading" to coral. she is such a sweet big sister (well, most of the time!). not sure coral is into the story though...

photo session 1 & 2

2011-10-10T20:11:00.003-10:00

this photo session was probably not as elaborate as the one i did with belle when she was a newborn. it got hot really fast and i had a toddler in on the action this time (photos below), so i had to break it up into two days. ooh she is cute if i do say so myself. no wonder my body feels like it is on the death sentence when i am preggers, look at what it created! coral, i want to eat you up!

Coral 2 weeks old

and here is my assistant photographer ;) nice attire belle, very professional.

i don't really know why, but i love this picture...that little tongue :)

getting the good shot...

the next day, i got her with her eyes open! and wow! she looks a lot like belle!

belle 3 1/2 weeks old

happy bday jay

2011-10-02T20:51:00.001-10:00

oh crap, jay just turned 29 on september 18, which means that i am going to be 29 at the end of the month! that is hard to believe because i seriously still think i am 23. my brain doesn't want to catch up. i made those delicious cupcakes that you see... chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting drizzled with rich chocolate ganache! yum!

jay's parents came over to celebrate and to hold baby coral.

my little tweety bird...

2011-10-02T20:45:00.000-10:00

she is two weeks old in these pics and one whole pound bigger! i must have some good milk! (she is now almost 4 weeks old, i need to catch up!)

she makes this funny little tweety bird with her mouth. i love little newborn expressions and all the funny faces they make. if only it were easier to get them here, i would have many more!

quite a few times that i have left the room, i come back to find a little "friend" next to coral. belle loves her baby sister and it makes my heart melt.

introducing...

2011-09-22T15:22:00.000-10:00

Coral Anuhea Tomita, born September 5, 2011 at 9:36 pm, weighed 7.11 oz., 20 3/4 in. long. we are so happy she is out!!

this is the before shot as we are just leaving for the hospital. when i got to the hospital, the nurses kept telling me that i was small! i was like, "she is plenty big, let's get her out!" belle was so excited for a sleepover with her grandma and grandpa and cousins. she grabbed her backpack, blankie, bear and glasses and waited by the door to go.

don't mind me here, i just had a baby!

proud papa..

precious little bundle...got a smile!

proud big sister...she got nervous after a minute and said "i'm all done, she's too biiiig."

belle has been surprisingly adorable with coral. at the hospital, she would get this very concerned, scared look on her face when coral would cry, but she quickly warmed up after a few days. now she is a concerned little mommy. she runs to tell me when coral is crying and even reassures her by telling her "it's okay baby, i'm coming, it's okay." she is so grown up. jay and i laugh at how she feels like a giant to us. jay keeps saying how big belle's head seems and when i changed her into her pull-up one night, i felt like i was changing an adult! ha ha, its so weird.

it was so great having my mom here. belle got plenty of attention, so i could focus on the baby. i wasn't the only one who realized how great it was having her here. things felt a little chaotic my first day on my own. in the middle of a tantrum, belle cries "i want grandma!" i reply "me too!"

my mom bought belle this bird that chirps when pushed. belle just kept squeezing it to death to make it sound. she hasn't put it down since.

coral's first bath and belle's new favorite thing ever.

dancing queen...

2011-09-21T14:30:00.001-10:00

belle looooves to dress up, dance and sing her little heart out. she makes us repeat the credits so she can dance to the music at the end of her favorite movies. in nursery, they tell me she is a fantastic singer and gets super excited for singing time. she always puts her necklaces around her head. very fashionable belle.

princess party!

2011-08-05T21:32:00.000-10:00

ohhhhh...the cake. it was a bit of a beast. took me two days and for some reason started to lean a bit, but i am happy with how it turned out considering how difficult it was. (also i cannot take full credit since i copied another cake off the internet.)

it is an understatement to say belle wanted this "princess bike" as she calls it. we were in Target (of all places) and she dropped whatever toy she had in her hand and ran over to the big box that had this bike in it. she was so excited, she pulled the whole box off the lower shelf onto herself. she loves it. and i love how it has the attachable bar to push her so i don't have to bend over!

blowing out the candle...

happy birthday sweet girl. i can't believe you are three! xoxo

birthday girl...

2011-08-05T21:17:00.001-10:00

jay took our picture before church one morning. i love my cheesy girl.

i wanted to get a picture of belle on her birthday. she insisted on getting a picture of me too.

this girl wants a "big girl" ponytail these days. don't know where she picked that up.

everything was princess this year...

i don't know...is this poor girl being raised by a controlling clean freak? she is too funny. instead of breaking into her new toys, she has to pick up all the paper first.

maui trip!

2011-07-29T14:03:00.003-10:00

we crashed my mom's trip to maui and stayed with her and her husband in her timeshare condo. i remember the first morning opening my eyes while still in bed and seeing the ocean right there! we were about 25 feet away from the water and got to fall asleep to the waves crashing every night. they did get a bit noisy and woke us up sometimes, but it was such a cool experience. we had such a good time. thanks for treating us mom!!! i had never been to maui before and now i can check that island off my list! it was so beautiful and had lots of fun places to eat and shop. you will see our itinerary through all our pictures below...

belle was super excited about getting on a plane to go see grandma. she insisted on packing herself...it was really cute to watch her try to fold her clothes.

she loves loves loves going on a plane...

we drove up to see a crater and the views were insanely high and breathtaking...got a little carsick on the way back though. the roads were super twisty and curvy.

we are higher than the clouds here and see the road winding down?

this crazy plant is called a silver sword and they only grow in hawaii on this crater. hard to see here, but they are silver! really awesome. it was really cold, so we had to pack warmer clothes and change once we got up there.

all bundled up...bear, blankie and all.

the beautiful sunset over the clouds. how many times will you see that in your lifetime? sunrise is suppose to be even more amazing as the sun comes up and shoots rays of sunlight through the clouds...but you have to get up at 3:30 am and i wasn't about to do that!

lots of beach time. maui had some amazing beaches! belle kept trying to swim out to sea by herself. she is getting so brave.

sorry, no belly shot! hehe

we went to maui ocean center which has a huge tunnel aquarium that you walk through. belle LOVED it.

duh nuh... duh nuh.. ...duh nuh...belle! watch out, there is a shark behind you!

we drove up hana highway and saw a ton of waterfalls. it is so beautiful. we stayed one night there since the drive is a bit long. people say that it is a very serene and spiritual place. apparently Oprah has some property and a house there.

our last night we ate dinner by the water and watched the sunset. it was bitter sweet because we had dropped my mom off earlier that day. broke my heart when we walked into the condo that night and belle ran in yelling "grandma, grandma!" awe. can't wait to see you in a month mom!

camping at bellows beach

2011-07-22T13:06:00.002-10:00

we went camping at the beach with jay's family in june. it was fun, only i think it would have been a lot easier on me had i not been pregnant. the first night we stayed in a house across from the beach and the second night we truly camped at a camp site. belle had a blast.

these girls were loving this "mini platform" singing their little hearts out.

jay and his older brother, bryce.

couldn't believe the color of this beach wood!

this is when i knew what i had to buy belle for her birthday. she was fighting over the bikes. she really wanted bear to ride along with her, but little bear kept falling off. she just persisted. i was laughing watching her as she kept jamming the poor thing to stay in front of her.

bear finally did get a short ride...

one highlight was going crab hunting at night. we did this last year too when we were at the beach house. the crabs come out at night, so we bring flashlights and put them in a bucket. when we have caught enough, we stand in a circle and let them go! belle was loving every second.

a close-up of our mr. crab friend.

jay was just loving his winding up radio flashlight, so we had some nice fuzzy music in the background.

jay's mom rented a bicycle cart that you have to pedal to make it go anywhere. you sort of feel like the flintstones. it was fun. don't we look dorky? well, i'm not in any pictures, but you get the idea ;)

we had GINORMOUS marshmallows to roast. my sis-in-law bought them at walmart. you could only eat one though.

cruisin at the camp site...

the haps...

2011-06-27T19:57:00.000-10:00

these pictures are what little miss belle has been doing during may and june. i really don't like this picture of me, but this is basically what every single morning looks like. belle insists on showering, getting dressed and doing make-up with me. the girl doesn't leave me alone. there are times when i enjoy it and there are many times that i want to pull my hair out! i recently had some sentimental feelings about how this is my last 2 months of just me and my little girl pal. she is just that. my pal. she loves to go to the store and shop with me. she basically wants to do whatever i am doing. at times it is annoying, but i have been trying to cherish those sweet moments more...

such as how she calls a ballerina, a "bonina!" forever, jay and i could not figure out what the heck she was saying. we wondered where she picked up spanish? then she pointed to a ballerina one day and said "princess bonina!" she still says it this way and i adore it. i am sad to think of the day that she stops saying things like this.

almost every night after dinner, we head out and cruise on our hammock for some good snuggle time. it's the best!

i woke up one morning to find belle had helped herself to some breakfast and some cartoons. she got out her left over cheeseburger and some dry cinnamon toast cereal. she even had the little sauces out to dip. haha

we bought belle a big girl bed and moved the crib to the nursery. she had a bit of a transitioning phase and was getting up at 5:30 am! she often would give herself a nap on the couch during these days. luckily, she is now getting up between 6:30 and 7...jay and i were dieing!

i look at these pictures and i cannot believe how big she looks. she is going to be 3 in just a couple of weeks! my little girl. wow. she is such a snuggle bug. at least once a day she will say "mommy, i want to hold you." it doesn't take much for me to stop what i am doing to snuggle her for a minute. i love it. she loves picking my flowers the stinker!

Easter...better late than never!

2011-06-14T13:02:00.002-10:00

the easter bunny brought tangled and jewelry. gotta love that morning hair belle.

it was like a fairy land in my grandma's beautiful backyard. i had so much fun taking pictures as you can see there are quite a few...

we sure did miss jay :(

travels...

2011-06-01T16:47:00.001-10:00

we flew to Utah for the month of April to see family. it is always such a busy trip trying to squeeze everyone in, especially this time since i was pregnant and sick. the way there was a red eye and belle only slept 2 hours. when we got to my mom's house and i crashed, she didn't go to sleep until that night. i couldn't believe she stayed up a whole 24 hours.

ha ha. those pants wouldn't stay up!

looooooved the "cocoleen!"

i love finn reaching to use the cookie cutter and he can barely see :)

the hatch's just love sitting around a campfire! we didn't plan well, notice the size of our marshmallows?

everytime finn took a bath, belle had to get in too. these two were having a ball!!!

kix...

2011-05-20T14:33:00.000-10:00

so i had a craving for kix cereal. cereal is pretty much all i can eat in the beginning. for a box of cereal not on sale here, it will cost you about $7. i normally don't buy it if it isn't on sale, but i just really wanted some kix cereal. when we got home, belle decided she did too and ended up tipping the box over and all the dumb little balls all started rolling out EVERYWHERE! then we went outside and jay let her bring the box out to my objection. she spilled it twice outside. "freakin a!" i love the pic of jay picking it up out of the grass :)

we got a pool!

2011-05-20T14:26:00.001-10:00

you should have seen us trying to stuff this thing in our little scion in the kmart parking lot. lol. i love it because belle will actually leave me alone for a while and i get to relax and read on my lounge while she plays.

this is one side of our house that was always full of weeds as tall as our fence. we finally decided to fill it with rocks and start a raised-bed garden. (we sort of let our seeds die recently. i am more focused on all the house projects and getting the nursery finished now. the garden can wait!)

my flowers finally started growing. they were even bigger than in this picture that they started growing into the grass. i got really stupid one morning and decided to try to move them back. well, being 6 months pregnant and working with hard, clay soil is not a good combination. i wanted to die! and now i think the flowers are dieing after all my hard work and sore back for days!

starry skies and good fun

2011-05-20T14:19:00.001-10:00

ever since i moved to hawaii, i was obsessed with being outside in the evenings. it is cool, but warm, almost like a good summer night, but even better. i wish we would spend more time eating dinner outside. sometimes it seems like more work, but it really isn't. jay has been playing his ukuelele a lot lately. he even takes it to work and plays with his co-workers. i think the workplace is a bit more relaxed here like everything else. sometimes i have to pinch myself that i get to live my dream with my exotic sexy husband and raise cute little hapa kids. :)

belle has got some interesting moves. she was shaking her fist and bending from side to side. i don't know where she gets this stuff from!! hilarious. oh and she insists on us tying her blanky around her waist...she calls it "princess."

playdough queen

2011-05-20T14:12:00.000-10:00

wow, belle, you look absolutely beautiful. did you notice her eyeshadow? :)

lovin' the bubbles

2011-05-20T14:10:00.001-10:00

this is what belle looked like most days while i was sick. in her pjs. i made myself get out the camera to snap a few shots. she was having so much fun with her bubble train. i think i took only 2 pictures about every other month. sad.

happy valentines day!

2011-05-20T14:07:00.002-10:00

more like "happy puke day!"

don't mind me, i look like crap because i was puking like every couple of hours. smiled for the camera though! i told jay to get a balloon for belle and of course he came home with the most expensive one. i couldn't believe he spent like $14 on a balloon. then he tore a hole in it on the way home. nice. luckily he caught the hole and patched it up, but it still lost a lot of air. he wouldn't go back and fill it up either. it lasted longer than i thought it would though and it is pretty cute. good job honey :)

it was a "go go pup" year...

2011-05-17T13:23:00.005-10:00

belle with her kitty and go go pup. she is in love.

puppy had to have a hair bow too.

ha ha what is that face!

she was really cute about all the ornaments on the tree. especially the one she is holding that was mine when i was little. of course, it has a bear on it.

she loved my advent calendar. she is at such a fun age for the holidays.

loved our new white tree this year!!

christmas day!

2011-05-16T21:03:00.002-10:00

santa did come sure enough. i realized i may have overdone it when i saw belle not interested in opening anymore presents. she just wanted to stop and play. i'm sad i didn't take any pictures of her christmas morning. blimey! ( i have recently adopted some new english words. i have been reading the confessions of a shopaholic books and i can't put them down. i love the british!)

we ate outside on the lanai at jay's grandmother's nursing home. jay and his brother serenaded us with their ukuleles and i loved watching these crazy little dancing queens.

belle gets really really serious about her moves.

christmas party!

2011-05-16T20:46:00.000-10:00

my sister in law, amy, made these delicious soft gingerbread cookies that the kids decorated.

my little decorated palm trees :) we didn't put lights on the house, even after some begging on my part. i usually have high aspirations like "Clark Griswold". jay...not so much.

i love using my christmas dishes that i bought last year. it was so beautiful under our pergola with all the lights!! i wish i had taken a photo of the table beforehand...super bummed about that.

peek a boo

2011-05-16T20:34:00.000-10:00

belle was being super cute with her little bear, i had to grab my camera.

we are going private...

2011-05-07T16:49:00.000-10:00

i know it has been a while since i last posted. there are numerous reasons for this...one being that i have been terribly sick with pregnancy. yes, we are expecting!! i recently looked through my blog book that i printed from our first year (we used blurb.com for those who are interested) and i felt sick that i had not been updating for so long. so, i am starting with a new determination to post at least once a week. my blog will be a journal of me and my family. you are welcome to read it if you like, simply leave your email address and i will send you an invite. aloha!

halloween

2010-11-02T18:25:00.002-10:00

we made soft sugar cookies. yum!

cute new halloween decorations (spooky sign and owl) from my sisters!!!
my roses almost lasted til halloween.

there's no place like home.

"someone please take me trick or treating."

we had SO much fun trick or treating on halloween, despite the fact that we were all sick and congested, and we had to miss a halloween party :( . the weather was perfect and we even had a spooky sky as we walked around. belle loved it and carried her little basket around from house to house. she would knock on doors and she even said "happy halloween" a few times. (i tried practicing with her at home, making her say "trick or treat" with her basket and giving her candy, but she was too shy with strangers. although, now she brings me her basket asking for candy all the time).

the neighborhood we went to was so great with people sitting out on their decorated porches waiting for the little kiddos. belle filled up her basket and once it got too heavy, she would try to hold it up to me and say "too haw-vy, too haw-vy mommy." she was adorable.

cautionary:

between all of life's stressors, jay's computer hogging in the evenings and belle's obsessive need for me at all times, blogging has been placed on the back burner for the past two months. so, before you go on, please know that there are numerous new posts. signing off!

little miss crazy pants...

2010-11-02T17:34:00.002-10:00

belle had my mom's cell phone and had her reading glasses on while pushing her cart with her purse.

we got home from costco and look what the little rascal did. she had peaches all over her with a few bites out of one. they weren't ripe yet either.

proud as punch.

came downstairs and remembered why i don't buy belle yogurt anymore. gosh.

opened my car door and belle had her sunglasses on her head like i did. she came in the house and started putting lotion on.

found little miss belle working in the office with the door closed. sorry to disturb. oh, and she's got one of my headbands on her head. ha ha. she is always putting my jewelry and headbands on. then she sticks her butt out and turns her head as if she is looking at it in the mirror??? do i do that?! oh dear.

family pictures

2010-11-02T17:21:00.000-10:00

mom you are a professional! THANK YOU!

she was putting a flower in my ear...

beach day with grandma

2010-11-02T16:47:00.001-10:00

belle put these random slippers on. i don't know whose they were! that is not the first time she has done that...tried walking off with someones shoes.

"a good fit i think".

she was totally posing here! i had never noticed her posing before. it was pretty cute.

she thought she was pretty funny afterwards...

my mom was showing her some kind of nut here...or maybe belle handed it to her. i can't remember.

then she tried to stick it in her mouth. what other sensible thing was there to do?

chores...

2010-11-02T16:29:00.000-10:00

often times, i come downstairs and find belle at the kitchen sink. she is such a little copy cat. she really imitates everything that i do, sometimes it is a little scary ;) have to watch what i say and do!

she was turning the water on and off and rinsing her sippy cup and wiping the counter. when i found her, she was on her tippytoes as the chair was slowly pushing away from the sink. caught her just in time to take a picture!

getting wrinkles out and folding clothes...

my mom caught her in action the day she arrived.

my mom bought her a book. she loves to read. she will "pretend" to read aloud. and when you try to read to her, she will grab a book for her and insist that you continue to read while she reads too. if you get louder, she does too. she is crazy... in the most loving way. ;)

jay is now a year older.

2010-11-02T16:15:00.000-10:00

he had a great birthday because he got a new surfboard (especially since his other recently bought surfboard was stolen right out of our garage.)

5 things i absolutely love about my jay:

1. even tempered. he is so easy and i can always expect to see his smiling face.
2. sensitive. he genuinely cares about how i am doing emotionally.
3. he is so fun to be around and do things with. really can't ask for more than a best friend in a husband.
4. helpful. although i usually have to ask, there are times when he will just do. he is good about helping me clean the house which i love!
5. a loving father. belle adores him. today at target, she about jumped out of the cart running to him. she was trying to run so fast that she looked a bit awkward. trying to go faster, her legs looked wide and funny as she took each stride.

he finished painting...

2010-11-02T16:01:00.000-10:00

the outside of our house. yea! well, except for the small triangle on the tip top of our house that he can't get to. do you think our future buyers will notice?

when belle woke up from her nap, she saw daddy there outside her window and thought it was the most exciting thing ever. she insisted on sitting there and keeping him company. she got a little concerned when he disappeared though.

" oh no! daddy! where go? where go daddy?"

"hi daddy!"

what's not to love...

2010-11-02T15:52:00.000-10:00

about a chocolate strawberry shake?

want some?

our annual zoo day...

2010-11-02T15:46:00.000-10:00

i think the best part was the ice-cream i'm afraid. i was a little surprised that she wasn't as into the animals as i thought she would have been. cuz let's face it, she is a magnet when it comes to anything furry.

ha ha...

lanikai beach day

2010-11-02T15:28:00.001-10:00

my new favorite picture is of her clapping when jay rode the wave in on his body board. and of course a little cheek shot. that vest is more like a neck brace on her.

she put her head down every time because of the spray. she was brave though!

can you believe how big she is?

2010-11-02T15:13:00.002-10:00

she just looks so old.

she sure does love to dance. she was the energizer bunny the other night when we left her at a friends to go out for my birthday. she lasted longer than a 4 and 7 year old. still wiggling her hips and stepping back and forth like a salsa dancer 'til 10:30 at night...way past her bedtime. she has this fantastic move that looks like ben stiller in along came polly. it's when they go salsa dancing and ben is in slow motion while looking right in the camera and moving his shoulders in circles. ha ha. we love it.

we went to target this morning and she was a little dancing QUEEN when she discovered the FurReal Friends GoGo My Walkin Pup. she wouldn't even let me try dresses on her when we were at the children's place the other night because she was so into the song blaring in the store. with a dead serious look on her face she would swing her arms and walk to the middle of the isle and step back and forth with a little swing in her hip.

just a word of advice, don't play music around belle. she won't let you sit down.

i have a new love...

2010-08-27T21:15:00.000-10:00

her name is Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa on the food network. she lives in the Hamptons, in this amazingly beautiful house with an amazing garden and has the cutest relationship with her husband of 40 years. i now have a new aspiration...to be a chef. well okay tara! let's just add something else to the mix. don't i already have too much going on? i'll answer that. yes, i do. sigh...

Ina has inspired me to put the romance back into my relationship (well, we do still have it, but why not spice it up a little?). i am going to do a surprise dinner once a month with candles and a fancy meal. it will be a good way to practice making something more gourmet other than our ever popular sloppy joes or spaghetti.

go watch and get inspired.

and the other love of my life. my sweet little, candy obsessed, "i can count to 12", curly do, toddler. she keeps us on our toes.

dear bear...

2010-08-23T14:11:00.000-10:00

you are so very loved. it worries me that you are looking a little tattered. i fear all that love might do you in. how many washings can you take? although... you sure are lucky. you get to go on so many adventures. you must get hundreds of squeezes and kisses all day. what is a mommy to do when you are gone?

sunday stroll...

2010-08-23T13:52:00.003-10:00

august? what! i'm still in july.

2010-08-15T13:42:00.001-10:00

a whole lotta family time and some fish too.

belle is allll caramel color from head to toe. we call her caramel. (no, not really)

jay's sis came to visit for a month from missiouri. we sure do miss her, patrick and the girls! i must say my heart is extremely tender after living in hawaii for 5 years. i found myself crying in church today (almost uncontrollably. i must be hormonal, although i find myself saying that a lot lately) because i had just found out that yet another friend was moving...a very common occurrence. not sure i can handle much more. i think i may just stay inside from now on and not talk to anyone.

must i say it again? i LOVE the ocean, sand, beach and everything about it. i guess that is what led me here and why i must stay.

belle is super naughty and throws sand in her cousin's face.

obsessively putting lip balm on and eating it too.

the beach house family reunion on the lovely north shore. couldn't get much better.

oh dear. belle, you still have your binky and i don't know when i am going to let you give it up.

shoes and socks...

2010-07-28T22:57:00.000-10:00

so this is why i find my shoes all over the house. my little munchkin loves her heels.

i cannot believe her face in this picture. nice sparkly shoes belle. and in case you all are wondering, these do look fab with jeans...and in her case jean shorts ;) (sorry for the grainy photo. totally buying my camera in like 2 days...the camera i have been saving up for, for about 2 years!)

lately, every morning before we head out the door, belle sees me put my socks on to go running and she insists on traveling all the way back up the stairs and into her room to get her socks. i didn't even know she knew where her socks were. (you don't really ever wear socks in hawaii.)

jay is working overnight for the next three nights. today, i really enjoyed having him home since it felt like an extra day off, but now i'm not so sure. i love the free time i have with no pressure to do anything but what i want to do (i do love my "me" time), but i miss him and i just may not be able to fall asleep. we'll see how it goes.

belle turns two!

2010-07-16T16:28:00.000-10:00

cannot believe my baby is two!!! she had a woodland themed birthday party. i had so much fun making her birthday banner and decorating and making her cake. the two columns are suppose to be trees :) it was super windy though, so basically everything blew away. we bought her a little table for her b-day so she can color all she wants (and not on my coffee table)! belle is insane when it comes to coloring. she would color all day, all over everything if i let her.

loads of pictures here so my mom and family could feel like they were here :( miss you all.

jay and i made the owl pinata. it was easy, but time consuming. i thought it turned out so cute and much cheaper making your own!

my first attempt at making a decorative cake. i had soooo much fun doing it. i remember my mom always making the fanciest cakes for our birthdays and i loved it. i want to keep that tradition going. i put priority on the cake, so the dinner was a complete mess. next year will be pizza or a crockpot dinner!

singing happy birthday to the birthday girl. happy birthday is her favorite song. she has been singing nonstop since she heard it the first time at her cousin's b-day. she will just sing it at the most random times. she cracks me up.

she sure did love it when the candy came out! jay made the pinata a little too good. each kid had about 5 turns and then the adults had to finish it off.

my mom used to make us dresses for our birthdays. i wish i would have made belle's instead of buying it off of etsy. the lady made it about two sizes too small. i had to take the whole thing apart and redo it.

we had some entertainment after we opened presents. jay's mom is taking ukelele lessons. they are sounding pretty good!! gosh, my hubby sure is handsome. oh, sorry. got a little sidetracked ;)

overall a success! happy birthday sweet belle. we sure do love you. better stop now before i tear up. sniff. sniff.

belle's friendly forest pool party

2010-07-16T16:01:00.000-10:00

the columns are suppose to be trees. ha ha. (got a little lazy with the balloons...not very full trees.)

i made a table of "woodland" themed food. pink mushroom cupcakes with raspberry frosting and white chocolate chips, ladybug apples, snail swirl cookies (not much of a swirl there), fairy berries, woodland sticks, chipmunk chips (dried bananas), friendly forest bunnies (graham cracker bunnies), gnome-made granola, and almond berry muffins. i had so much fun baking the whole day before.

belle's favorite thing to do is rub lotion all over herself or someone else, although she throws a fit when i try to put it on her. sometimes she will pretend her sippy cup of milk is lotion and rub it on her, her bear, or me. thanks belle :)

enjoying that cupcake!!

she loved her presents! thanks friends!!! you made belle's birthday so special.

my mom and me...part II

2010-06-16T20:45:00.000-10:00

belle makes friends every time we go to the beach. she just walks right over to random people, whoever might be sitting next to us and sits (or stares) at them for an hour. and i thought this girl was shy.

we do love our shave ice.

it was fun to see belle warm right up to my mom. she loves her grandma!

i was trying to get a picture with belle and she would not have it. i can just hear her grunting as she was pushing me.

i finally moved for her and i guess she decided she felt bad for me, cuz she came over, not once but three times, to give me a kiss. my mom got all three on camera. aww. :)

i wouldn't normally post a picture of me in my bathing suit, but i just had to pay credit to my mom for how cool this picture turned out.

i miss blogging.

2010-06-04T14:34:00.000-10:00

is it sad that i haven't taken any pictures of belle since my mom was here? i've got to get back into the swing of the things.

i really can't wait to get these on my wall. THANK YOU MOM!! you are the best! we had so much fun shopping and going to the beach. i love it when she is here... i have a perfect friend to hang with (since we do love to do all of the same things...i am like a clone i swear) and belle loves all the attention. more pics to come...

yea! grandma's here.

2010-04-25T14:39:00.000-10:00

"i sure am getting top treatment. i've had a hair cut and my nails done by gramma! next stop, build-a-bear."

curves...

2010-04-18T23:33:00.002-10:00

is the cereal of choice for miss belle. that box of cereal had been sitting in our cupboard for months. she pulled it out every day until it was gone! i got her in action one day sitting on the couch, lounging and munching. we're proud of you for making a healthy choice, belle, but we really don't want you to lose any weight. ;)

i recently bought some pillows and it probably looks like i have a different one each week or about 20 on my couch. well, i think i am finally satisfied rearranging them. the night jay and i brought the pillows home, we immediately put them on our couch. for some reason, they ended up all on one side and jay looks at me and exclaims "we need more!" we laughed really hard since we had about 10 already!

word of advice.

2010-04-14T20:25:00.000-10:00

do not buy the box of 16 nestle ice-cream drumsticks at costco. just don't do it.

we recently went to sea life park. it was...tiny. favorite sea animal? it's a tie between turtles, sea lions and dolphins.

belle was super afraid of the penguins. she thought they were going to swim right through the glass and get her.

look at the view behind sea life park. it's right on the coast. amazing!

now for some interesting tidbits:

everything that enters a storm drain goes directly to the ocean, lakes and rivers (liter, used oil, anitfreeze, sewage, toxic chemicals, pesticides, etc.)

urban stormwater is one of top three sources of pollution of our nation's rivers, lakes, and oceans.

three and a quarter million tons of oil enter the oceans of the world each year.

over 60% of the world's coral reefs are threatened by pollution, sedimentation, and over-harvesting from the curio and aquarium trades.

14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the world's oceans every year, most of it in the northern hemisphere.

~~~what you can do!~~~~

pull your own weeds: the less herbicides and pesticides you spray, the less you will swim in on the weekend.

don't water your driveway. it won't grow. all that water washes to the beach.

fix your car leaks: more oil enters the beach from urban runoff than from tanker spills. if your car drips, the oil will find its way to the ocean.

use non toxins: vinegar and baking soda clean very well or buy eco-sensitive products.

recycle! call 1-800-RECYCLE

quit using styrofoam! bring your own mug.

next time you see trash, pick it up.

www.surfrider.org

help protect our sea life and oceans!

this blog...

2010-04-11T20:37:00.002-10:00

is not really ever about me. all i do is mother belle and cut felt. okay, i may do other things too, but most days, sorry. that's it. quite honestly, i don't really need any more excitement than a toddler, smeared yogurt and lip gloss...a bad combination all the way around.

we do sometimes make it out of the house and see friends, which is always greatly needed. i am involved in a mommies group and it has been so great! belle gets to interact with other kids and i get to interact with people that don't ask for a "cacka" (that's the word for cracker, not poo) every 5 minutes (well, we do have some pregnant ladies, but they are pretty low maintenance ;).

we are headed to the north shore tomorrow to see some friends and i am so excited. i am grateful for life today. i feel truly content with where i am right now in my life. not content enough that i don't want to better myself, especially in the spiritual sense, but i do feel happy...and blessed. i just want to soak up every moment right now when belle is little. i am frightened at the thought of her becoming any older...like a teenager! ahh! even though i am pretty exhausted right now, that sounds way more exhausting! ...unless i get lucky and end up with a "rory."

who taught her how to do a facial?

this girl was ready to fight me on this. she was totally bringing it. you should see her elbow swing. oh dear.

elmo's world.

2010-04-07T19:49:00.003-10:00

belle has been saying it all day today. "blah blah blah...elmo's woud" luckily she got him from the easter bunny. she was really excited about it, but probably not as excited as eating her chocolate bunny. i thought it was pretty sweet when jay came home with surfer barbie in a mermaid tale, the dvd. i actually watched it and loved it. barbie can rip! she gets air and everything. if only i was half mermaid. (the dvd was not for me, it was for belle ;)

Belle loved finding eggs. After she finished her egg hunt with the younger kids, she kept finding eggs and putting them in her basket that everyone was trying to hide for the older kids. ha ha. that's my girl.

New items in my shop this week!

although a terrible two, still very polite.

2010-03-30T20:18:00.001-10:00

this girl says "thank you" every time you give her something. she keeps us laughing daily. she now chases us around the house saying "i get choo." she knows just about every animal sound there is including the most amazing horse sound that blows jay's and my version out of the water. she keeps her mouth closed and uses her chest...it sounds real! she also can cock-a-doodle-do, make fish noises, me-ow, bark, cheep and make bird noises. the girl has talent. i wonder if she will do it for a living some day. she now reads on her own, turning pages and blabbing all kinds of nonsense... it is my favorite part of my day. she pushes chairs to the counter to help me cook (which is always a complete disaster and not welcomed on my part) or to reach for more goods in higher drawers. she is pretty serious about elmo and seems to give each one of her stuffed animal friends a turn for some good lovin.

i love this girl more than life itself. she certainly drives me crazy since i can't seem to keep anything in it's place anymore. my room and bathroom are now a disorganized mess that i can't seem to keep up with, but those giggles and kisses make it all worthwhile.

this keeps happening to me...

2010-03-14T19:35:00.002-10:00

...and i don't know why. can you figure out what's wrong with this picture? first, i get belle dressed. then, i throw on some clothes and we end up walking out of the house looking like this. people are starting to notice and it's embarrassing. i don't plan our outfits or anything. i swear.
does anyone else ever do this? c'mon, just make me feel better. maybe there is something to those mood rings...

and this girl's hair is starting to fill in. she now has little wings. :)

fyi, i will be deleting my friends and family list soon. lovin' my google reader.

i want to see this.

2010-03-10T21:29:00.001-10:00

click here. anyone else?

the weather has been crazy cold here lately and i am just not prepared. little belle has to wear her 9mo little hat when we go running in the morning (her little ears get cold). i am in the market for a cute hat/beanie if anyone wants to share a cool place/site to get one!

we are making headway on our major house projects. we finished painting the outside of our house, except for some minor touch ups, and today we finished preparing the ground for a stone patio. cannot wait. i seriously need to extend my tiny living space and what better place to do it than in hawaii. with good weather all year, i just wanna be outside!

sadly, this girl has lost the "ee" sound off the ending of her favorite words. she now says "elmo" and "apple" the right way. she made sure i knew she was saying it today...like 100 times. her little lips would pucker when she would say "elm-O"

i love where she placed her bear. she is obsessed with that little bear. thank you grandma heath!!

i finished my sister's crib bedding for her sweet little baby boy. check him out here.

look how odd my child is...

2010-03-01T14:52:00.005-10:00

belle was dancing to Ellen and i tried to capture it on video. didn't really work. sorry for the laundry in the background.

and here i just don't know. she likes to tuck a tissue in her binky (makes it convenient to sniff i guess) and she walks around like that!

so we survived our first tsunami. whew! so glad the waves weren't as big as anticipated. i was pretty stressed out for a minute. it was a good learning experience and we will be more prepared for the next one. yes, i did say next one.

we're okay.

2010-02-27T11:59:00.000-10:00

just wanted to quickly let everyone know that we are doing fine! luckily we did not have to evacuate and we feel prepared. our neighborhood is not in the flood zone and we have church members nearby. unfortunately, jay is not with us because he is working. so, hopefully he won't have any trouble coming home when his shift is over. we will keep you posted!

the north shore is our favorite place...

2010-02-24T20:14:00.004-10:00

but you already knew that.

new items in my shop!!

we are getting ready to paint our house and finally put in our backyard. way too many projects in my future, but we are excited! especially belle. all the girl wants to do is play outside. can't wait to throw a shrimp on the barbie!

anyone watching american idol? i wasn't too excited about the ladies last night. maybe the guys will be better. we are liking andrew garcia.

my hubby cleaned the house today while i made hair clips. i have it pretty good. i don't mean to brag, cuz life is not always a clean house and beach day! well, i am off to make hair clips. i know what you're thinking! i live and breathe felt.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:08:00.000-10:00

Belle's little nose crinkled smile melts my heart. She is currently lounging next to the gate that I have to put up to keep her out of the craft/computer room. The poor girl needs a permanent playmate.

We have had such a fun V-day. Jay gave me "part" of my gift today (we are celebrating Tuesday since it is his closing weekend). He bought me another season of Gilmore Girls and has made me about the happiest girl in the world. I watched back to back episodes last night with a bowl of popcorn and snow caps. It's really hard to turn that show off. We also went to Cheesecake Factory recently and reconfirmed my love for that restaurant!! The salmon was out of this world.

Belle dragged her valentine teddy bear to church today. Now every bear I see I want to buy it for her. I find it funny since I vowed not to buy any stuffed animals when I was pregnant because I heard how they usually start to take over your child's room. I hope you don't turn out to be a brat Belle, because my heart just wants to spoil you rotten!!

Hope everyone has had a nice Valentines Day. Spread the love!

two is better than one!

2010-01-29T20:59:00.002-10:00

one day i see belle walking around the house with 2 binkies in her mouth. why not double the sucking power? this girl is all sensory. (and please don't judge, she only gets her binky during nap and nite time...and occasionally when she won't stop squawking at me and it is a matter of total insanity).

she also has been a collector lately. she likes to put things into things...bags, boxes, strollers. she insisted on making lulu and caterpillar ride in the stroller together even when i tried to explain that lulu and caterpillar are just too big. she is a persistent little bugger, i'll give her that. (she just might get that from me. eek!) they kept falling off and she would yell or rather squawk in frustration. eventually they did get to have a very short ride together.

belle is a lounger. she has always been a lounger. ever since she started sitting up, she would lean back on the couch with her legs all spread out and her head resting on the back cushion. so i am not surprised she found a more comfortable way to sit in her dora chair. she likes to flip it over and make it a recliner.

as for me, i have been busy finishing up projects, thinking up new projects and running my shop. i am taking a little break this week because my sis is flying in right now!!! so excited to see her and be a tour guide. have a great weekend!

am i sentimental or just mental?!

2010-01-15T22:36:00.000-10:00

for real. i finally cut belle's little mullet today. (my mom will be so proud ;). so i felt a little apprehensive, and not because i miss the 80's so much. i guess i was feeling a little sentimental about it (plus the poor child has NO hair as it is, although now it does look much better and fuller on the bottom).

i grabbed the camera and made jay take a picture. and not knowing whether or not i should just throw it away, i put her little curl in a tissue and it is now sitting on my dresser. i never did buy one of those little boxes or anything. am i weird? what have you done when you cut your child's hair for the first time? i am really wondering.

beach day...

2010-01-11T17:29:00.001-10:00

we had so much fun on saturday minus a few mishaps, plus a long lost friend! the water was really cold (well for hawaii!) but it felt good. belle just kept running into the water with NO FEAR! time to buy a life vest, which i don't like cuz i don't want to ruin her look ;) just kidding. she loves the waves...which later in life will be a good thing. don't hate me, but i love it here really. i know i complain, but i shouldn't. i am grateful that i get to live by the ocean, which has been a dream of mine since i was little. since my "new year's resolution" i have been living it up!

less work and more play i say.

belle pooped her pants and jay did NOT know what the heck to do! ha ha. look at his face. belle was pretty psyched about it though.

okay, so i plan on opening my shop tomorrow! that is if i get everything done tonight!

Target has a new mascot.

2010-01-06T20:09:00.000-10:00

belle, you are one seriously silly little girl and i cherish all of our giggly times together. you sure do love our attention like every second of the day. i can't believe all the new words you surprise us with. one night belle was playing while we were getting ready to eat dinner. we were saying a prayer to bless the food and after we said "amen," we hear her say in her squeaky voice "awmin." as parents, it was a proud and sweet moment. ;)

i walked down the stairs and saw my man eating this for breakfast.

2010-01-03T18:53:00.000-10:00

i taught him well i think.

hows this for a new years resolution?

2009-12-30T21:24:00.007-10:00

go to the beach more.

although the traveling was out of this world and we both got colds, i was so happy to see my family and i really enjoyed seeing belle in the snow for the first time...

belle is insanely obsessed with anything fluffy. bears. dogs. kitties. she was immediately in love with my mom's dog, kayla. she would do her little "hu hu" laugh when kayla would lick her face. it made me melt.

the funniest was when belle was sitting on the snow bank (see above) and kayla came up from behind her and decided to ram her backside and give belle a little joyride down the snowbank. too bad my mom didn't snap the camera at that moment. (you must all be thinking what a terrible and mean mom i am laughing at my poor daughter being tortured by the snow and a dog...i'm not. i promise.)

strange how santa brought the exact same car for belle that she got for her b-day...hmm.

my favorite part of Christmas this year was Christmas morning snuggling in our new pjs with all our opened loot and mess all over the floor...

our newest member of the house...lulu. she purrs, wipes her face with her paw, rolls back to let you rub her tummy, closes her eyes and meows. belle enjoys dragging her around by the neck and giving her lots of kisses. i didn't teach her to love like that!

***my shop will be opening soon with some new goodies! stay tuned!

belle really loves bbq sauce.

2009-11-21T09:37:00.004-10:00

things have been really busy around here with my shop, making christmas presents and getting ready to go to utah in less than 2 weeks. woohoo! and i just maybe have had my tree up for over a week now... i love it!

Winter's Tale by Robert Sabuda

2009-11-14T09:50:00.008-10:00

THE best and most magical Christmas book ever. i read this book to belle last night and it is amazing! each page is an extravagant pop up and even has a light-up surprise at the end. you can buy it here.

photo via RobertSabuda.com

wild thing...

2009-11-14T08:54:00.003-10:00

belle walked into the bathroom one day carrying this mask... she likes to snoop thru my nightstand... LOL.

lately, she has been wanting to sit on the bathroom counter while i get ready. she copies me and takes my make-up brush and brushes her face and then mine. she is hilarious. i love this little girl so much. most mornings, i wake up and can't wait to see her little pudgy face.

*recognize the mask jill or kym? ;)

my little garden gnome...

2009-11-03T00:49:00.006-10:00

as you can see i wasn't successful in only picking one.

belle won the costume contest for her age group...we couldn't be prouder. ;) (she is holding her ribbon)

we did make it to the pumpkin patch and it was hot and dirty (*i just read this after i posted and i can't stop laughing! LOL). made me miss utah this time of year.

i had a halloween party at my house... we ate fingers, spider infested boiled eggs, mummy pizza and moldy cheese. delicious! wha ha ha.

turtle bay is where it all began...

2009-10-25T15:08:00.005-10:00

and maybe that is why it is still our #1 place. jay and i started surfing together when we first met (and he kept trying to play hard to get and it literally drove me crazy). i remember checking him out, out of the corner of my eye, in his beat up station wagon.

out of nowhere the waves got big and i was glad i went in...look at all that white water! i was sucking anyway...i wish i would go more! jay and i miss the north shore sooo bad! we plan on moving back when we can.

uh oh. i think i heard belle. she will play in her crib after a nap forever if i let her (sometimes i do). i wish i had a camera on the wall to see what she was doing!

i (sort of) heart the zoo.

2009-10-20T13:20:00.008-10:00

i can't help but feel bad for all of the animals stuck in their cages.

something you did not know about me: my long lost dream was i always wanted to be like Steve Irwin and work at a rehabilitation zoo.

i posted all these amazing photos in case you felt left out ;)

flamingos are fluorescent. INSANE. (i put belle in her giraffe dress for the occasion)

jason was really excited to see his long lost relatives.

i have a thing for tigers.

my very favorite part.

my favorite animal that we saw...besides belle ;)

for your viewing pleasure.

jay has been on vaca before he starts the dreaded 4th quarter (crazy holiday rush) at target. we are enjoying lots of family time. headed to the north shore to surf! pics to come.

i made these.

2009-10-15T12:26:00.003-10:00

get the how to for pumpkin people here.

made the apron for my mom's b-day. and we can laugh together at my awkward pose.

yup. i made that last one too.

Belle's surfer girl headband

2009-10-06T21:21:00.002-10:00

i have been really busy with my shop...which is a good thing. and i finally got my halloween decor out...it looks really great with all my craft clutter. i really need to create a work station somewhere in my tiny house for my craftiness. poor belle scoots around the house with felt stuck to her bum.

did i mention that belle is obsessed with all of my halloween stuff? i love it. she makes me walk her around the house so she can point and blab nonsense to everything. it's great and so is halloween. i have started belle's costume... you'll have to wait and see! it's a surprise.

a whole lotta belle,

2009-09-27T20:49:00.008-10:00

shenanigans, new do's and a cute jumper.

i walked downstairs and this is what i found...didn't think i had to worry about that for A LOT longer. and her favorite place in the house...my bathroom cupboard. argh!!!

this little 80's jumper kills me. she is constantly carrying things around in her mouth like a puppy.

that smirk.

EVERYtime i get belle out of her crib, she ignores me and is quick to point behind me at her bookshelf that has little glass collectibles on it (from when i was little). she insists on looking and blabbing nonsense at them.

she also knows some sign language. this is her saying "please". she can sign "more" and "all done". we had pizza the other night and she said her first word, "pissa!"(besides mama and dadda and mum mum, meaning milk) and then said "book" in the same day. we never have pizza, so it was pretty random and funny. she also says bear and ball even though they sound the same. it's really fun to hear your baby start talking!!

i can finally put her hair in pigtails and a teeny tiny ponytail on the top of her head. yea!

husband's b-day update

2009-09-27T20:40:00.003-10:00

belle wouldn't stop pointing at jay's poms poms. i don't know what i am proud of more, my cute turquoise cake plate (thanks mom!) or my cake decorating ;)

don't look at my wet shaggy do please. i know i look like i belong at fragel rock, but belle's eyes look so pretty in this pic.

*and yes, that is belle's 1st b-day decor still on my wall.

exciting!

2009-09-22T13:03:00.003-10:00

Tarabelles has been featured in this awesome Etsy treasury, Here Comes The Sun. Check it out!

adult headbands!

2009-09-21T15:37:00.002-10:00

updated my shop. favorites???

happy birthday jay!

2009-09-18T05:19:00.004-10:00

it's more like happy birthday to me! the day you were born was really a gift to me. i love you!!!!

would you look at those cankles!!!

belle LOVES raisins just like you did.

oh my gosh. that outfit. i am DIEING!

Jay's high school graduation. holy moley.

wow babe. you were sexy when we were dating...

still are ;) i am one lucky woman!!!

we enjoy our pool.

2009-09-16T23:12:00.003-10:00

we don't go very often, but we are always so glad when we do. we pay a butt load in maintenance fees, so we really need to enjoy it more often. belle really loves the water and she gets so tan! it doesn't matter how much suntan lotion (spf 70) i put on her, she just gets dark. she is darker than me and jay and we wear spf 15! sometimes i look at her and i think..."is she really mine? is there any me in there at all?" she really is a little mister jay, girl version.

i love how she is holding on to the handles. hee hee.

seriously belle. not even one little smirk!!!?

holy crap. i am going to pee my pants.

2009-09-15T08:10:00.000-10:00

i am soooooo excited.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

belle + laundry = happiness

2009-09-09T22:37:00.003-10:00

wish it did for me! now if only i could get this little bugger to fold it all!

{getting a good sniff.........................................saying she is #1}

{she thought she was pretty neat putting it on her head}

Does this photo inspire you?

2009-09-07T10:37:00.002-10:00

photo via Glamour Magazine

I stumbled upon this article and felt pleasantly surprised and inspired. I remember as a teenager feeling very insecure about my looks, as i imagine most young girls and women are at some point in their lives. I was really proud of Glamour mag. for publishing this article of a normal sized woman who is beautiful and confident. I think this photo is stunningly beautiful.

Having a daughter, there is so much to worry about these days. Low self-esteem can lead to many problems, such as eating disorders, drug use, depression and promiscuity. This article gives me hope that the media will portray woman in every shape, color and size more. I hope for Belle that she will feel beautiful and confident no matter what she looks like. I would much rather her spend her energy pursuing her education, talents and hobbies rather than obsessing about the way she looks and wanting to fit in. I wish I had.

Even now, looking at this photo makes me relax a little. Having kids, I know my body will never be the same. And why does it have to be!!? I don't think men are as particular as we are about they way we look. We are way too hard on ourselves!! Beauty comes in every shape, size and form.

Thank you. I will step down now. ;)

i know my sense of humor is lame-o.

2009-09-03T21:27:00.001-10:00

for all you who don't get these hilarious commercials because you live in a deprived state.

whole lotta...

2009-09-02T17:20:00.019-10:00

so i can't write anything really because my lovely belle is on my lap while posting all these!!! some pics taken while my dear mom was here. miss her!!! looks like i'm headed there in december!!!!! fa la la la la, la la la la.

***thanks again mom for the wonderful family pics!!

i woke up this morning and thought to myself...

2009-09-01T11:45:00.002-10:00

i need more adrenaline like i had last night. cuz maybe then i would actually get my clothes put away. poor jay is probably sick of fishing for his target uniform out of a basket.

seriously, i have never seen my body jump up so fast. i was freaked right out of sleep when i heard belle's piercing scream in the monitor, that i ran right into her room with lightening speed velocity...which is exactly what i should not have done! cuz that only made her wake up even more and cry when i put her back down! coming down from my rush and still in a haze, i walked back to my room where jay was sitting up in bed like "what the hell?!" the blankets were torn off of the bed and all strewn across our bedroom floor. that was pretty funny. and i think the human response is quite amazing.

the vessel in my forehead is getting big because...

2009-08-22T18:21:00.002-10:00

belle has learned that she can scream at the VERY top of her lungs and get a good reaction.

i accidentally erased 1000+ photos the other day and i spent hours + $40 trying to recover
them.

after staying up til 1am going thru every picture my computer has ever seen to recover my pictures and still not finishing, belle figures out how to flip the switch on our power cord and turns off the computer...and loses all of my work.

i have to start writing my talk for sacrament mtg. tomorrow AGAIN because belle figured out how to flip the switch on our power cord and you know the rest...

so, in a nutshell, i need to know...

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET? for how not to kill your kids?

monday night randomness...

2009-08-17T22:37:00.007-10:00

any sex and the city fans out there??? i can't seem to get sick of watching old reruns on TBS. i am on my 2nd round already. really excited for the movie sequel. if only i could buy the TBS version somewhere... i would buy the whole collection. what's not to like? the fashion, the friendships, the girl talk...

on another note, i happened upon this fabulous link, full of diy projects, from the overly talented blog, design sponge. i had so much fun browsing that i thought i would share. now i have a good list of hope-to-get-to-projects. really great diy gift ideas for the holidays!!! better get started! and so many wonderful ideas for my house. where do i begin!

nite!

keepin me busy...

2009-08-15T11:20:00.009-10:00

my first attempt at sewing Belle a dress! it only turned out because my mom was here helping me. nevertheless, i am excited for the little bugger to wear it! ...and i made a crayon pouch a while back with the help of my dear friend Amanda! She is an AMAZING sewer and quilter.

having a blast getting ready for the holidays! a little sneek peak for some new seasonal items for my shop. i LOVE halloween! can't wait to decorate Belle. i think i am going to be wearing that plum one quite a bit myself. oh gosh. gotta think of a halloween costume for Belle. any ideas? i would love to make her costume.

as you can see, Belle is pretty excited too.

just the way you are.

2009-08-12T22:03:00.005-10:00

things i must not forget.

1. you are a sniffer: blanky, handy manny, your shirt when i am changing you, my leg, my face when i am kissing you, my shirt. strange, but soooooo cute.

2. your slap game. you swat my face. i swat you back. you think it is HILARIOUS.

3. you pinch me to get my attention. naughty little bugger.

4. you babble like nobody's business...and you speak 4 different languages, according to Grandma Shields.

5. you sound like a Japanese sergeant all day when you yell out commands in your little language.

6. your little bum scoot.

7. your compulsion to dance to every little beat...even the dishwasher :)

8. you say "mama" when you want me, "mum mum" (when you want something) and yell "mommmmmmieeeee" when you are mad.

9. you like to play tickle games and peek-a-boo

10. your little sheep laugh "huuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuh uuuuuh" (i cannot even imitate it)... along with your courteous smile (mommy really appreciates that).

the days go TOO fast. can't let all these little moments pass me by. thank you blogger. i guess i will keep you afterall cuz we all know that i am NOT a journal keeper.

V. Lou Textiles Giveaway!

2009-08-11T09:35:00.002-10:00

desperately need this dress! click here to check out the fabulous giveaway!

Belle woke up and said...

2009-08-10T15:52:00.003-10:00

oeoeoeoeoeoeoeo...meaning "where's grandma?!!"

We miss you already! Can't wait until Christmas...well, hopefully. Thinking I might have to start selling myself on the corner. ;) Or just get a job...LOL. If only Paris would start buying my hair clips... speaking of which, there are new items. Click here to check them out.

Obviously, 2 different cameras were used here and I am too lazy to change it.

hello again.

2009-08-06T20:40:00.002-10:00

sorry for leaving that dooms day post on here for so long. things are definitely better now and my mom is here and we are having a blast. so far we have sewn a dress for belle, basked in the sun at waimea bay and shopped almost every day til our feet hurt. and of course we have been eating lots of treats. pics to come...

week of misfortune

2009-07-28T10:05:00.003-10:00

i don't know what the hell is going on here (pardon me, but i do, on occasion, feel the need to swear and feel better doing it, plus i don't really consider hell to be a swear word...whatever ;), but this past week has been INSANE! one thing after another it seems...bad news and happenings just keep coming our way. if our little family makes it out alive this week, well, then i am positive we will get through just about anything! i feel like a massive weight is on my chest and i just cannot wait for my mom to get here in two days so i can just play and have some fun. in desperate, desperate need of some fun. does anyone have weeks like this???

Belle's got a crush.

2009-07-22T15:31:00.005-10:00

Seriously, Belle lugs her little boy toy around everywhere and it is so funny. She picks him up and rubs her face on his and chuckles and giggles bouncing him all over the place. I have got to get it on video. It is so fun to watch. Jay and I wonder where she got this from!? I forgot to mention that her boy toy is Handy Manny. She went nuts over it in the store, breathing really hard and flaring her nostrils and all.

Definitely a sign...

2009-07-15T14:33:00.004-10:00

...that I shouldn't have anymore kids. You won't believe what I did. I was making dinner and feeding Belle last night. Just as I was tasting my soup that I made and trying to decide if I added too much salt, Jason reminds me to put Belle's bib on her. As I am still thinking about my soup, I pick up Belle's bib and snap it on. To my dismay, the snap sounded awfully close to my ear...because it was around MY neck!!!! I about died when I realized that I put Belle's bib on myself. I sat there and said "Jay... look!" I thought he was going to pee his pants when he looked over at me, sitting at the table with a very snug, little bib around my neck. I laughed so hard that I was crying. That's it. I need to take a serious vacation.

Belle is #1

2009-07-12T14:26:00.004-10:00

I CANNOT believe it! My baby is one! I totally got all choked up reading those cheesy Hallmark cards. I spent hours making decorations and the cake. The cake. That thing turned out to be a mess. I was still decorating it when people were arriving. I wish I would have planned better and had more time to take my time making Martha Stewart's fantastic ruffles, although it still wouldn't have turned out like the Queen of unattainable perfection anyway. She makes everything look easy when it really isn't. RE-gardless, I had fun doing it and I sure enjoyed seeing Belle in her crown. She even ate her cake like a princess. To my disappointment she didn't get the least bit messy.

Happy Birthday little peanut! Woot! Woot!

Thinking of just heading to Costco for this one's 1st b-day.

2009-07-01T22:34:00.002-10:00

She played with this box for like an hour, I swear.